


forever ain't half the time (i wanna spend with you)

by markhyuckfest, sopeshades



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Drinking, Drunken Confessions, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, Marriage of Convenience, Nct dream ensemble - Freeform, Swearing, marriage pact
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-25 23:44:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16670659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/markhyuckfest/pseuds/markhyuckfest, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sopeshades/pseuds/sopeshades
Summary: there is a part inside of him that blooms hope, that whispers to mark that some people get the fairy tale ending, the feeling of a coming home to someone whoislike a home.Or, Mark and Donghyuck make a promise that takes ten years to fulfill.(written for prompt MH#090)





	forever ain't half the time (i wanna spend with you)

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to the person who sent in this prompt, it was absolutely lovely to write. I took on a more melancholy/serious approach to the prompt, I hope that’s okay with you!
> 
>    
> Title is from the song “What A Heavenly Way To Die” by Troye Sivan, which you can listen to [here.](https://youtu.be/ncoOwXNVpDc)  
> The final wedding scene, I imagined an instrumental version of the song, which you can listen to [here!](https://youtu.be/0F4hUca4fKc)  
> 

mark learns that there are certain things about donghyuck that crawl into his mind and make a home there. the way he laughs like the first rain of spring, the way his fists curl when he’s arguing, even the way his lips part ever so slightly when he sleeps. they’re like paint splatters on a wall, impossible to ignore but something about it is so, so beautiful.

 

it comes in the form of a hushed whisper one night in august, when the two of them are sprawled out on a blanket on the rooftop of mark’s house. donghyuck’s head is on mark’s chest and every exhale is warm, even through the ratty sweatshirt mark pulled on before they crawled outside. it makes mark’s arm tighten around donghyuck’s shoulders, nosing into his hair with wide eyes.

 

“what did you say?” he asked, not believing the words. he feels donghyuck nestle in closer, splaying his palm flat on mark’s stomach.

 

“if we’re still single in ten years, let’s do it. let’s get married,” he replies, the words spilling out of him easily. mark looks down at him, but donghyuck has a serene smile tugging at his features. his dark lashes tickle his cheek, laying perfectly still against tanned skin. mark takes another moment to take in his beauty before leaning back, pulling the younger man closer and dropping the subject.

 

it isn’t until later that night, when the wind chases them back into the confines of mark’s house, that the promise is brought up again. they’re holed up in the kitchen, donghyuck sitting on the marble island. his legs swing back and forth, and mark can make out a bandaid on his knee even in the dark. in the moment of silence, mark lets the cool water bottle tip back and soothe his dry throat. he watches donghyuck pick idly at the hem of his basketball shorts, avoiding eye contact until mark clears his throat.

 

“are you gonna tell me what that was all about?” he asks in a low voice, setting the bottle down and stretching his foot out to tap donghyuck’s leg. the action makes him look up at mark, and he’s caught off guard by the bright glint in his eye.

 

“don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it before,” he whispers back, smirking. “you’re totally in love with me.” the thought makes mark scoff, and he’s grateful for the hood covering his likely-pink ears. he pushes off the counter and closes the distance between him and donghyuck, standing right in front of him.

 

“i think you’re the one who’s thought about it,” mark says, tilting his head to the side. “what, you wanna pinky swear or something?” when donghyuck looks down at his lap, mark has to choke back a laugh.

 

“whatever, just forget it,” donghyuck snaps, looking smaller than he did before. it makes mark stop and study his friend, noticing the way he picks his cuticles as a sign of nervousness. he sighs and runs his fingers through donghyuck’s sandy hair.

 

“hey,” he replies quietly, and he waits for donghyuck to look up before continuing. “is this because i’ve been busy with school? it’s my first year and you’ll be starting in a month, we’ll have more time together.” he watches donghyuck chew his lip and reach up, taking mark’s hand and threading their fingers together.

 

it was true, mark hadn’t had much time for his childhood friend ever since he started college. days seemed to fly by with little more than a couple of texts a week, when they were normally joined at the hip. it wasn’t until the quiet moments alone in the dorms that mark allowed himself to miss donghyuck, to wonder if he missed him too. he way donghyuck grips his hand like a lifeline tells him he did.

 

“it’s stupid, i just miss you,” donghyuck mutters eventually, letting their joined hands fall into his lap. mark knew he was only this sincere in rare times between the two of them, claiming mark was the only one who could see beyond the mischievous mask donghyuck wore for the rest of the world. it makes something in mark’s chest feel like it’s being carved out, so he taps the underside of donghyuck’s chin to get his attention.

 

“hey,” he whispers, meeting donghyuck’s eyes that seem to shine with a thousand stars. mark silently lifts up his pinky and watches as donghyuck’s lips part in shock. when he reaches up to link pinkies, he can feel the heat of donghyuck’s body.

 

“if in ten years we both manage to be single, i promise i’ll marry you,” mark says, the dark room making his sincere voice echo.

 

the smile that donghyuck gives him in return is enough to light the entire house.

 

☀ ☾

 

college is hell. it shouldn’t be and it certainly didn’t start out that way, but somewhere along the line the experience turned to something bitter on the back of mark’s tongue, threatening to creep forward and make him sick. he had found comfort once again in the bell-like laughter of his best friend as it trailed behind him in the halls. donghyuck had transferred to mark’s college and it felt as if everything was how it used to be. they would laugh and joke, pour over too much espresso and study in the library, and even penciling in their weekly movie nights.

 

everything was how it should be. until it wasn’t.

 

it happens one night when mark makes his weekly trip down the hall and around the corner to donghyuck’s dorm, arm full of snacks and cheap beer one of the upperclassmen managed to get him. he knocks on donghyuck’s door, ready for another night of bickering over what movie to watch that will ultimately end in the two of them sprawled out on the couch together. what he doesn’t expect, however, is for donghyuck to open the door just as he’s shrugging on a coat. the way his face falls makes mark’s heart sink.

 

“mark,” he breathes, lips parting and eyes wide in surprise. “i completely forgot about tonight." the words sound foreign to mark and he lets them roll around his brain until he processes them.

 

“huh?” he asks dumbly, condensation from the beer making his hand slick. he watches as donghyuck rubs the back of his neck and peek out the door and down the hall.

 

“i have plans tonight, i’m sorry, i must have forgotten to tell you.” he sounds sincere, no normal teasing lit to his voice. mark isn’t sure how to respond, but a clear voice comes from down the opposite hall.

 

“donghyuck! sorry i’m late,” the person says. mark cranes his neck to look over his shoulder and he spots a man with a chiseled face and dark wavy hair walking towards them. when he approaches the doorframe he doesn’t stop like mark, instead he leans in and presses a chaste kiss to donghyuck’s cheek. “ready to go?”

 

“yeah,” donghyuck replies, but his voice is airy and his brows are knitted together. “just give me a second.” donghyuck turns to him, and mark can already feel the ground beneath his feet start to give way.

 

“we’ll talk later, okay? i’m sorry,” donghyuck replies quietly, leaning in so the man can’t hear. he gives mark’s arm a gentle squeeze and lets himself be lead away by the handsome stranger. mark can’t help but notice the way his hand rests on the small of donghyuck’s back or the way he pulls him closer as they make their way to the stairwell.

 

it’s how it begins, and unfortunately it doesn’t end there. mark finds himself getting used to seeing the man hang around, to expect his face to pop in donghyuck’s dorm room and ask to go to dinner. he’s kind enough to include mark on their plans most times, but mark is bitter over the idea of being a third wheel and he feels his skin itch from the inside out whenever he spots the two of them share a kiss or an embrace.

 

mark soon makes it a habit of being a different kind of third wheel, one to a couple in the same grade that when to high school a town over from him and donghyuck. saturday nights become mark sitting on the floor of their shared dorm room, eating terrible takeout and watching the two men try and launch potstickers in each other’s mouths. one night it becomes too much, and the smaller of the two turns to him with an achingly gentle expression.

 

“mark,” he says sweetly, almost a coo. it makes mark want to gag. “are you sure you don’t want to talk about what’s clearly bothering you with donghyuck?”

 

“i’m fine, jaemin,” mark replies flatly. it’s a clear lie, but it does nothing to falter the calming smile on jaemin’s face. the latter reaches down to give mark’s shoulder a squeeze while the other man looks on in concern.

 

“maybe it’ll help you to get out more,” the other man, jeno, says. he leans forward and soon he’s right in mark’s face, grinning and giving his best eye-smile. “you know, meet someone new.” he nudges mark with his elbow for effect, but the undertones are anything but subtle. jaemin sighs gently and pulls his boyfriend off mark, who is hellbent on sulking on the cheap microfiber rug covering the floor.

 

“i don’t need to do that,” he says, picking lint off the turquoise rug beneath him. “i just need to focus more on school.”

 

it’s partially true, mark will be graduating soon. already two years have gone by and he’s spent most of it pouring over his english lit notes and sulking about his best friend. much to his friend’s relief, however, mark does get out. or he tries to, at least. the parties he attends are too stereotypical with a few dozen more people crammed into a frat house than what normally would be comfortable. for a few hours mark can forget about his worries and find himself throwing back shots and sticking his tongue down the throat of the hot guy in his biochem class.

 

it doesn’t last. it never does, they’re merely a stream of hookups to pass the time until graduation.

 

☀ ☾

 

graduate he does, and soon mark is teaching as a substitute for english as a second language at a high school in the jungnang district. it isn’t luxurious by any means, but it’s enough for him to get a decent apartment while he’s in grad school. he still keeps in contact with his friends from college, but their different schedules make it easy for mark to slip into a comfortable distance between them— most notably, between him and donghyuck.

 

mark is so busy during his first few months juggling his new job and grad school that he misses the housewarming party for donghyuck and his boyfriend. he figures it’s for the best, and jaemin can always fill him in if he missed anything major. a part of him hopes he didn’t, because he can’t actually bear the thought of missing a major moment in donghyuck’s life. jaemin and jeno argued with him before the party that this _was_ a major moment, but mark shrugged it off to hide the disappointment of the two of them still being together. he cares for donghyuck, he still considers him his best friend, but being in a confined space with someone wrapping his arms around donghyuck’s waist would kill him.

 

so he waits, he keeps a friendly distance. until one night.

 

the knock is quiet at first, so quiet that mark thinks it’s just one of his neighbors kicking something over in their apartment. after a minute it starts again, but this time there’s an urgency to the cadence. mark sighs, rubbing his eyes and rolling off his bed until his feet hit the floor. sliding on his glasses, he fumbles to the entryway and switches the light on, forcing down a yawn before he opens the door to the strong stench of alcohol. something comes tumbling into his chest, and on instinct he holds whatever it is closer to him.

 

“hey!” he barks, voice still hoarse from sleep. he realizes it’s a person, one he knows very well judging from the freshly colored dark hair. sure enough, a pair of eyes filled with stars— albeit hazy ones in his drunken state— are staring up at him.

 

“oh mark,” donghyuck half-sobs. “thank god you answered.” his fingers curl into mark’s white tee as he struggles to move from leaning to standing on his own. “i had nowhere else to go.”

 

“what the hell happened to you?” mark asks, obviously well aware that his best friend is beyond hammered. this is only confirmed when donghyuck wobbles onto his own feet only to immediately lean against the wall for support.

 

“he broke up with me,” he mumbles, shrugging off the jacket that’s barely hanging onto his shoulders anyway. donghyuck lets it drop to the floor unceremoniously and takes mark’s arm with a clumsy grip. he stumbles to the couch in the living room and pulls mark down with him, situating himself so he’s resting his head on mark’s shoulder. donghyuck exhales, and mark can smell the mix of vodka and triple sec on his breath.

 

“what do you mean? i thought things were great,” mark says, genuine shock tinting his words. while he wasn’t the first person to support their relationship, anything that made donghyuck hurt made mark hurt, too.

 

“they were awful,” donghyuck says, dragging out the last syllable. “he said he was bored, i tied him down and he didn’t really love me.” the statement hits donghyuck hard, because he crumples into himself and wraps his arms across his chest as he sobs. mark gently pries donghyuck off himself and tucks him under his own arm. he lets donghyuck’s tears soak the collar of his shirt while he runs his fingers through his hair. every so often, mark kisses the top of his head and rubs his back, and eventually the sobs turn to subtle hiccups. the room lulls into a gentle silence, with only donghyuck’s occasional sniffing making a sound. it’s then that mark speaks.

 

“he didn’t deserve you. nobody who cares about you would say things like that,” mark says, staring directly ahead to keep his composure. it works, because his voice is so even it shocks him. he focuses on the muted grey paint on his living room wall, trying to etch out patterns in the drywall as the words trickle into donghyuck’s mind. there's such a long time before donghyuck responds that mark thinks he’s fallen asleep, until a quiet _‘thank you’_ reaches his ears. it soothes something in mark’s chest he didn’t realize was there, and soon the two of them drift off into a dreamless sleep huddled together on the couch.

 

when mark wakes, it’s to a too bright room. he squints, adjusting his glasses that have gone askew at some point in the night. he hears a shuffling noise in the kitchen, and he half-stretches as he walks into the room.

 

he expected donghyuck, sure, but not like this.

 

he’s mixing something in a bowl, tapping his bare foot to some song in his head that he must be humming to. there’s a shirt— one of mark’s dress shirts for work— thrown over his body that comes down nearly to donghyuck’s knees. it’s white and blue pinstripes contrast against his tan skin, and mark is praying to whatever deity out there in thanks that donghyuck isn’t facing him as he gawks. he clears his throat loudly and donghyuck peeks over his shoulder.

 

“about time you woke up,” he says, popping a raspberry into his mouth. mark arches a brow in question but donghyuck moves to the stove to turn it on low, placing a large griddle on the open flame.

 

“weren’t you drunk about… seven hours ago?” mark asks, using a hand to smooth down his bed head as he looks at his reflection in the microwave door. donghyuck pushes passed him to grab two coffee mugs from the cabinet, humming as he does.

 

“yeah but your coffee machine works great, couple cups got it out of my system,” he says casually, pouring them both their respective cups and making mark’s just how he likes it— half and half, two spoonfuls of sugar. he pushes it towards mark before grabbing a bowl full of colorful berries. donghyuck pops another piece of fruit in his mouth and sits on the kitchen counter, swinging his legs back and forth.

 

mark is reminded of a time years ago, where donghyuck was eighteen and had a bandaid on his knee. he remembers the pinky promise, the way his eyes sparkled, and how it parallels now. donghyuck is not the same gangly kid, though. his legs are toned and his face is more angular, much more fitting for a twenty-five year old and all the more tempting for mark. there’s something in mark that tells him to get closer, so he does. he shuffles across the cold tile until he’s in front of donghyuck, sipping his coffee and looking at him. he puts the mug down and plucks a raspberry from the bowl on donghyuck’s lap. it hits his tongue, melting into a sweet tartness that sinks down his throat.

 

“he made me dye my hair, you know,” donghyuck mutters, fingertips tracing the edge of the bowl. mark’s head snaps up but donghyuck’s eyes are still trained on the fruit in front of him. it’s as if he’s speaking the words to nestle between the sweet strawberries and blueberries. “said he couldn’t have me looking like some kid when he was a professional now.”

 

“fuck him,” mark says, edge cutting through his words. he braces his hands on either side of donghyuck’s body, forcing the man to look at him. mark expected him to be angry, to feel the pangs of grief for months, which is why the smirk dancing across donghyuck’s lips is such a surprise.

 

“yeah, fuck him” donghyuck agrees, lifting the bowl up slightly to offer mark another berry. it was always like donghyuck to not be serious for long, to never mull over depressing details. it’s why the next words out of his mouth are “i’m making us pancakes.” mark hums, plucking another raspberry from the colorful pile. he has the sudden urge to place it in his mouth and kiss donghyuck, so he thinks of something quick to say.

 

“what are you gonna do now?” mark asks, studying the fruit between his fingers to purposely avoid eye contact. something inside of mark is scared of the answer, for the one he’s been waiting years for but never thought he’d get to hear.

 

“be myself again,” donghyuck answers simply, and when mark looks at him he sees the familiar galaxy swimming in his eyes. just like that, the weight that mark didn’t realize he was carrying lifted off his shoulders and he reaches up to push the hair out of donghyuck’s face.

 

“good, he’s my favorite,” mark replies, and he’s never meant anything more.

 

☀ ☾

 

things become easier after that, lulling into a comfortable in between. donghyuck doesn’t go back to the apartment, instead sending movers for his things. mark gets a handle on teaching and works through grad school in record time. it’s as if a fog had been lifted off the two of them, the unspoken bond between them mending and shifting to something new. mark isn’t aware of it at first, until one night when jaemin pulls him aside in a bar and asks him why they’re making eyes at each other.

 

mark takes more notice after that, realizing that they navigate through winter and spring with a careful dance around their feelings, until the summer brings them back together in the form of sharing an apartment. days blend together during the season, and so do mark and donghyuck. they fall into the rhythm of doing menial tasks together before collapsing onto the couch in a tangled mess. it’s not dating, but it feels like a new territory from their childhood and college days.

 

little moments threaten to change things, like the time when mark walked in on donghyuck crying over a romantic movie or donghyuck complained loudly that he hadn’t been kissed in two years before looking in mark’s direction. it was something unspoken between them, but it nestled it’s way underneath mark’s ribs and made a home out of his chest. he decided that living with this new sensation was fine, that he would simply carry it with him throughout his life.

 

like all things with the two of them, this doesn’t go according to plan.

 

jaemin and jeno get married and it’s so, so beautiful. mark is genuinely happy, watching the two of them look at each other like they hung the stars in the sky. there is a part inside of him that blooms hope, that whispers to mark that some people get the fairy tale ending, the feeling of a coming home to someone who _is_ like a home. he tries to swallow it down, reminding himself that donghyuck moved out nearly a half year ago and there will be nothing but the expanse of space and empty rooms when he returns home.

 

donghyuck is there too, of course. he’s stunning in all his glory of a perfectly tailored suit and a thousand-watt smile. mark finds himself drawn to the way he looks at jeno and jaemin, the faraway glassy look in his eyes makes mark want to ask if there was a universe where it was the two of them standing at the end of an aisle instead of their friends.

 

they dance together, it’s only polite. donghyuck’s hands come up around mark’s neck and lace themselves together, and they sway gently to the music. their small talk eventually fades and they’re left with some unspoken bond between them. it feels incomplete, like a sentence without a finishing statement, and mark is about to open his mouth but donghyuck beats him to it.

 

“i’m glad we got to dance together tonight,” he whispers, playing with the hair at the nape of mark’s neck. “with all the wedding prep, i’ve barely left jeno’s side all week. i missed you.”

 

and _oh,_ just like that the world stops turning, the grip on his heart grows just a little tighter. mark looks into donghyuck’s eyes, and sees the future he wants more than anything.

 

☀ ☾

 

“i can’t believe it’s already been two years!”

 

the words echo around mark’s head, pulling him out of the fog in his mind. he’s seated in a cramped booth with jaemin opposite of him, his hair newly dyed dark and swept back from his face. he looks content, as if marriage and taken his world and slowed it down just enough for him to feel like the best version of himself. he’s beaming at donghyuck’s words, and it tugs at the corners of mark’s lips.

 

donghyuck is next to mark, already two drinks in and looking comfortable. there’s a certain way donghyuck glows when he’s slightly inebriated, like the sun is shining from beneath his skin. it makes mark want to lean in and kiss him, to feel the sensation of that same warmth for himself.

 

jaemin leans in. “yeah, and there’s something i wanted to tell you guys.” the smile on his face is contagious. he glances over towards the direction of the bar, where jeno is parked waiting for the next round of drinks for the table.

 

“what is it?” donghyuck asks, reaching out to take one of jaemin’s hands. mark looks on with interest, noticing the way jaemin’s eyes sparkle.

 

“okay well we talked about this earlier but,” jaemin says, words bubbling out of him. “i’m going to tell him i’m ready to adopt.” the way donghyuck’s eyes shine hits mark like a punch to the stomach.

  
  
“oh my god, i’m so happy for you! i know how much you wanted this.” the grip on jaemin’s hands is tight, the excitement clearly radiating between the two of them. mark is happy for them too, of course, but he can’t help but notice how invested donghyuck seems and it hurts.

 

“congratulations,” mark says, reaching out to squeeze jaemin’s other hand. the smile jaemin flashes him is so utterly sweet it makes the tension ease off of mark’s shoulders, even if it’s just slight.

 

“thank you,” he says genuinely, looking between mark and donghyuck. “i know jeno’s going to be so good. i want this so bad.”

 

“what will i be good at?” a cheerful voice asks, and jeno slides into the booth next to jaemin. he places a kiss to his cheek and passes mark his beer, who takes it gratefully.

 

“hmm, just being a good husband,” jaemin muses, reaching out to push the hair off jeno’s forehead. it’s such a simple act but it feels intimate, and mark looks down at the label of his beer bottle in a modest effort to give the couple privacy. his head lifts up when donghyuck nudges him with his elbow.

 

“even after all this time, you’re still so shy,” donghyuck laughs, and it feels less restricted than before. they had fallen into a pattern over the past two years, close friends with just _something_ between them that mark couldn’t quite place. it was a hesitance, like holding your breath for something you aren’t sure is even coming.

 

“i guess i am,” mark says, smiling slightly. it’s not totally false, but the heat that creeps up his neck is because he’s picturing him and donghyuck instead of the friends sitting across the table from them. donghyuck reaches down and squeezes mark’s knee. it’s an action that should be comforting, and it is, but it mostly makes mark think how badly he wants to interlock their hands and press their lips together.

 

the four of them drink and catch up, letting the hours melt away until the bar patrons dwindle and jaemin is suppressing a yawn. jeno says something about calling it a night, and mark and donghyuck end up walking out of the bar with them. they part ways, but something about the way donghyuck clings to his arm makes mark feel like there’s something more to address.

 

“will you come with me? i want to show you something,” mark whispers, and donghyuck’s eyes light up.

 

“of course.”

 

the walk is a pleasant one, the gentle buzz of a sweet drunk under their skin makes the jokes come easy. it isn’t until the two of them climb up the final flight of stairs and mark pushes open the door that donghyuck goes quiet, a soft gasp escaping his lips instead.

 

“wow,” he breathes, stepping out onto the rooftop garden. the gentle breeze rustles the lilies as he walks, their gentle bend reaching out to him. his fingers brush against the velvety petals of larkspur and carnations, until he finally stops at the center clearing. he turns around and looks at mark, the string lights hanging overhead illuminating his hair in a warm halo.

 

“it’s beautiful,” donghyuck says, his voice quiet.

 

 _it is,_ mark thinks, noticing how donghyuck seems at home between the flowers and vines. he makes his way to donghyuck, reaching out to rest his hands on his hips.

 

“do you remember a promise we made years ago?” mark asks, his voice unsteady. donghyuck’s brows furrow.

 

“we made a lot of promises, which one?” he asks, smile tugging at his lips. the flush that dances under his cheekbones is peachy warm and it makes mark want to cup his face in his hands.

 

“oh, that if we were single by the time we were, what? twenty-eight?” mark asks, trailing off as he tilts his head back to look at the sky. the stars are shimmering between the clouds, and he hears donghyuck laugh.

 

“no way! you remembered that?” he replies, punching mark’s arm lightly. mark brings his head back down to look at donghyuck, noticing how round his eyes are.

 

“of course,” he answers simply. “i could never forget.” the air is quiet beneath them, and mark can practically see the words being worked out in donghyuck’s mind. he waits patiently, until donghyuck smiles easily and wraps his arms around mark’s neck.

 

“let’s do it.”

 

beneath the string lights and the stars, they laugh and hold each other. it’s so _easy,_ the way they fit into this agreement, that mark almost worries it’s a joke. he thinks that he’ll lock eyes with donghyuck and he’ll call it off, that he’ll laugh in his face and sever any hope for a future together.

 

those worries are quieted when he pulls mark down just enough to press their lips together, the stars their only witness.

 

☀ ☾

 

while he wasn’t exactly obsessive over it, mark couldn’t deny that he had thought of his own wedding on many occasions. he thought of the pressed suit, of the friends and family surrounding him. he imagined how it would feel to be standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for the person he loved to walk down it and join him in what would symbolically be the beginning of their lives together.

 

what he _didn’t_ expect, or at least would never admit to himself lest he curse it, was to see donghyuck at the other end of that aisle. yet there he was, perched on jeno’s arm as they marched to the music down to mark. he can’t tear his eyes away from donghyuck, wearing a pressed suit and a smile brighter than the sun, but he feels a hand clamp on his shoulder.

 

“are you ready?” jaemin asks, eyes sparkling. he’s perched beneath the canopy of white and gray fabric, strung between the string lights and the garden arbor above them. it’s a fitting position for a minister, and mark gives him a soft smile.

 

“i’ve been ready for ten years” he stage-whispers, grinning at the way jaemin’s smile grows almost achingly wide. mark turns back just in time to see donghyuck lean in to jeno, pressing a kiss to his cheek. he watches donghyuck take his place opposite of him, jeno tucking off to the side with a grin.

 

“well, it isn’t exactly the grand wedding you hoped for” mark says, an apologetic smile painting on his face. donghyuck laughs at this, all musical and bright.

 

“you’re here, and that was the only requirement i ever had for a wedding” he replies softly. mark glances around, the four of them being the only people amongst a rooftop garden of flowers. the warm august night surrounds them, and mark is temporarily transported to a time a decade ago where they made a promise on a different rooftop.

 

jaemin clears his throat. “are we ready to begin?” the ceremony is hazy for mark, as he’s so trained on donghyuck before him. he can’t focus on jaemin’s words when donghyuck looks like everything he’s been waiting for in his life, like the home he never realized he was missing. it isn’t until the vows that mark is dragged out of his thoughts, and he takes donghyuck’s hands nervously.

 

“i’ve never been good at this” mark says with a sheepish smile. donghyuck merely squeezes his hands in return. “but i felt like this was always meant to happen, that everything else i’ve experienced in life has been leading up to this moment. it feels like i’ve been exploring the world, looking for something just to come back and realize it was you all along. it was always you.” donghyuck’s eyes shine at this, and he has to take a moment to collect himself. when he speaks, his words are shaky.

 

“thank you” he starts, having to clear his throat once before continuing. “for being the one person who took me as I am, for always being there even when you didn’t have to. i feel like the best version of myself when i’m with you, and i can’t believe i’m finally spending the rest of my life with my best friend.” there are tears in the corner of mark’s eyes, but they’re nothing compared to the ones streaming down donghyuck’s face. mark reaches out, thumbing away the tears and smiling when donghyuck leans into his touch. after a moment, jeno politely removes his pocket square and presses the fabric into donghyuck’s hand.

 

“thank you” donghyuck whispers, laughing. “usually mark’s the crier.” “i’m not that bad” mark says teasingly, smile blooming on his face when he hears the comforting sound of donghyuck’s laughter. after a moment, donghyuck hands the pocket square back to jeno and turns fully to mark. jaemin clears his throat, standing tall with his hands clasped behind his back.

 

“it is my honor to recognize the two of you united in marriage” he says proudly, pausing for a moment as he looks between his two friends. “you know what to do.” they both laugh, and lean in to press their lips together. mark’s hands find donghyuck’s waist and donghyuck threads his fingers through mark’s hair. the cadence of cheers from their friends fade away as they kiss, and mark can’t help but feel overwhelmingly thankful for that warm august night so many years before.

**Author's Note:**

> I loved writing this fic, I've never explored markhyuck or nomin before so this was refreshing! A huge thank you to the mods of markhyuckfest 2019, this was a great experience.
> 
> If you'd like to come talk to me about this, please feel free to! My links are below. Much love to you all ♥ 
> 
>  [Twitter](https://twitter.com/sopeshades)  
> [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/sopeshades)


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